Controlling apparatus for conduits



July 14, 1931. H. A. ms: 1,814,857

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR CONDUITS Filed Dec. 1, 1928 Patented July 14,1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEINRICH ADOLF IRbSLE, OFHEIDENHEIM-ON-THE-IBRENZ; GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO 3'. M. VOITH, OFHEIDENHEIM-ON-THE-BRENZ, GERMANY CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR" COND'UI'ISApplication filed December 1, 1928, Serial No. 323,066, and in GermanyNovember 28, 1927.

This invention relates to controlling ap paratus for conduits for fluidsand liquids, especially, conduits provided with gatesor the like foropening and closing said conduits 1 so that the flow of the fluid orliquid can be permitted to take place or be stopped at will. An bject ofthe invention is to provide such controlling apparatus of a design that.

In pipes and conduits for supplying fluid to the inlets of turbines,etc., the gates when closed are subjected to the whole pressure of thefluid on one side thereof. Hence the closed gates are forced on theopposite sides against their supports; and the initial opening movementcan only be produced with a great deal of friction and at a relativelylarge '20 expenditure of power. After a gate or the like of this kindhas been partly opened so that some of the water or other fluid in theconduit begins to pass it, the fluid occupies the space on the oppositeor discharge side of the gate and then the pressure of the fluid as itflows past the gate drops.

These conditions require a relatively large motor for starting the gateon its opening movement; but as soon as such movement be- 80 gins, thefull power of the motor is no longer utilized; because the reducedpressure of the fluid permits the opening movement of the gate to becontinued at a much smaller consumption of power than was needed at theoutset.

A further disadvantage of such a construction resides in the fact thatthe gate cannot readil be accelerated in its opening movement but actssluggishlg and there ore the full force of the flow o the liquid throughthe conduit to the oint where it is utilized cannot be quickly 0 tained.

An object of the present invention is to obviate these inconveniencesand drawbacks. In practice the construction in which this invention isembodied embraces two power supplying devices for actuating a gate, withconnect-ions such that the opemng movement of the gate can be moreeasily commenced and more readily continued. In the form of theinvention herein set forth said power supplying devices may have theform of fluid motors arranged so that they can be connected in seriesand thus give a high pressure when the opening movement of the gate iscaused to begin; then the fluid motors are automatically connected inparallel so that they operate at a lower pressure as the gate continuesits movement, but deliver a larger volume of fluid; which takes effectto make the opening of'the gate continue at greater speed, so that asavlng of power is effected and the opening of the gate is accomplishedwith greater dispatch.

The. changing of the fluid motors from a series connection to a parallelconnection may be done by hand but is preferably accomplished byautomatic means.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in theaccompanying drawings and the novel features of the invention aredefined in the appended claims. The disclosure, however, is illustrativeonly and changes may be made in the parts employed or mode of proceedingwithout exceeding the scope of the invention or going beyond theprinciple underlying same.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 illustrates an apparatus according to my invention with the,closure gate for the conduit at the start of its opening position; and

Figure 2 shows the same apparatus with the gate in substantially fullopen position.

The same numerals illustrate the same parts throughout.

In practice I employ two fluid pressure motors or power supplyingdevices such as pumps 6 and 0 which are operated by a single motor a.This motor may be an electric motor of the required capacit The pump 6has a greater output than t e pump 0 and it is, connected by means of apipe 01 to a tank 6 which may contain oil or some other convenientpressure medium. The pump draws the liquid from the tank e through thepiped.

into it and then discharges it through a pipe 7 into the cylinder tabove the gate p. The gate 79 is of the sliding type and moves up anddown in guides 10. at its opposite side so as to permit fluid to flowthrough a conduit pump 6 instead of flowir g directly to the cyl- C whenthe gate is raised or stop the flow when it is lowered. The gate 12 isconnected to the piston h in the cylinder t by means of a piston rod h.In line with the pipe f is a check valve g. p

The pipe f also communicates with a casing Z which is situated betweenthe pump 1) and check valve g. This casing Z has a portion of relativelysmall diameter Z and another portion of relatively large diameter Z Itcontains a differential piston, one portion '0 being of greater diameterand disposed in the section Z which communicates directly with the pipef; the other portion of the piston 10 is of smaller diameter andprojects into the section Z, the point of the union between the sectionsZ and Z formin an inside shoulder so as to limit the upwar movement. ofthe differential piston. This piston is'mounted upon a rod that slidesat its end in a reduced extenslon m at the opposite end of the section Zand the rod carries a collar or valve 2 between which and the endof thesection Z is a spring u carried around the rod so that'normally thedifi'erential piston is held in a depressed position. From the pipe 7' abran-ch pipe n leads into the section Z, and a similar pipe m unitesthis section to the pump 0. Above the pipe n, a pipe 0 connects thesection Z with the oil tank e. From the pump a an exhaust pipe r leadsto the pipe 7 near the point of entrance to the cylinder t. I

The pipe f also communicates with a safety valve in a casing r-betweenthe casing Z and the pump 6. This casing is connected by a pipe k to theoil tank 6 and inside of the casing is the valve z' having a stem 8. Aspring'u between the valve and the upper end of the casing surrounds thestem and normally tends to force the valve downwardto closed position sothat there is no flow through the pipe in to the oil tank e.

In operation, when the gate}; is in its lowermost position, stopping theflow of liquid through the conduit C,'the liquid forces this gate on oneside against the guide p as indicated in Figure 1. If the gate is to belifted, the motor a is started so as to work both the fluid motors orpumps 6 and 0; pump 6 draws up liquid from the tank e and forces itthrough the pipe f into the cylinder 25. On account of the resistance tothe movement of the gate p the liquid in the pipe f is under highpressure and as a result it'forces-up the differential piston by actingon the end of the portion of greater diameter '22. The spring .u is thuscompressed and the valve 2 uncovers the port leading to the pipe m;communicationbetween the pipes m and 0 then being interrupted. Hence thefluid delivered by the inder t is by-passed to the pump 0,

y p p m and n,

and then is forced by the pump 0 by .cent the pressure developed by thepump 0, takes effect Y in the pipe 1' and the part of the pipe 7 betweenthe valve 9 and the cylinder t to keep the check valve closed so thatthe necessary high pressure to lift the gate p at the outset is secured.At this time the safety valve i may open if.necessary, the tension ofthe spring 11/ being properly adjusted.

As soon as the movement of the gate p begins, the fluid of course startsto flow and the space on the opposite or exhaust side of the gate beginsto fill up. The pressure on the gate 39 then drops and less power is nowrequired to continue the lifting or opening movement. The pressurestored up in the fluid delivered by the pumps 6 and a in series to thecylinder t under the piston it continues to act and with the expansionof the fluid the valve 2' can close and the spring u can then distenditself and force down the differential piston together with the stem yand valve 2, so that communication is interrupted between the pipes mand n and the pipe m connected with the pipe 0. Thus the pump 0 can drawup liquid from the tank 6 and the output of the pump 12 is passed whollythrough the pipe f. The two pumps thus work in parallel, the pump 0delivering to the connection r adjapoint where the pipe 7 enters thecylinder t. Thus a very great lifting force is obtained to continue theupward movement 1 of the gate but no very reat consumption of power atthe motor a takes place. The same arrangement in series with the pumpswill be restored if on the upward movement of the gate 12 the piston his checked.

Instead of the check valve 9 another shu ofl' device controlled bythepiston in the casing Z may be utilized.

With this construction a more. advantageous and economical operation ofthe gate 2 canbe produced as will be understood.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for actuating to open position the closure gate of apressure fluid conduit comprising a pair of pumps, means for actuatingthe pumps, and connections comprising conduits and valves for enablingthe pumps to be connected first in series to cause said gate to commenceits opening movement and then in parallel to cause the gate to tivelyhigh pressure to said cylinder and ofv a pressure fluid conduitcomprisin and to the pipe leading then to connect themselves in paralleland deliver a large' quantity of fluid at relatively low pressure toforce the gate to complete its opening movement.

3. Apparatus for actuating to open position the closure gate of apressure fluid conduit comprising a piston connected to said gate, acylinder containing the piston, a pair of fluid pumps, a motor foroperating both of said pumps, a pipe connectin one of said pumps to saidcylinder, means i orming a bypass connecting the other pump to saidpipe, and a difierential piston controlled by the pressure in said pipefor opening and closing said by-pass.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said pipe carries asafety valve between said by-pass and the first-named pump.

5. Apparatus for opening the closure gate a iston connected to saidgate, a cylin er ior said piston, a pair of umps a tank for a fluidpressure medium or said pumps, a pipe for connecting one of said pumpsto em cylinder, a casing containing a differential piston connected tosaid pipe, and connections between said casing and said tank and theother pump whereby on the begin: ning of the opening movement of'theclosure the pumps will be in series and after the beginning of saidopening movement they will work in parallel.

pair of pump devices, crating said devices, a cylinder containing. apiston connected with the gate, a main pipe connection between one ofthe devices of the cylinder, a pipe connection between the second deviceand said main pipe connection, a normally closed branch pipe connectionbea single motor for optween the main pipe connection and the seconddevice, and means arranged to be operated by the pressure resulting fromthe resistance of the gate to movement for opening communication throughthe branch pipe connection.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I" have signedmy name hereto.

HEINRICH ADOLF RSLE.

6. Apparatus for actuating to open position the closure gate of apressure fluid conduit, comprising a piston connected to th gate, acylinder for enclosing the piston, .a pair of pumps, one of relativelylarge capacity, a motor for operating said pumps, a tank to contain apressure fluid medium, a pipe for connecting the pump of larger capacityto said tank, another pipe connecting said pump to the cylinder, a checkvalve in said other pipe, a casin communicating directly with said otherplpe, additional pipes connecting said casing to the other pump to thecylinder, a ipe connecting said casing to said tank, a di erentialpiston in the casin ing connected to said di erential piston and asafety valve connected to said tank and to v the pipe leading to thecylinder at a point between said casm and the pump of larger capacity,so that in operation when the gate a valve in the cas- I no in thecasing to put I that the twopumps then operate in parallel to completethe opening movement of the ate.

gate of a pressure fluid conduit comprising a 7. Apparatus for actuatingthe closure

